Antifreeze Poisoning
This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always
follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
As
winter approaches, many people will "winterize" their automobiles, including
a change of antifreeze. Take care to keep both new and used antifreeze in a
sealed container, out of reach of pets. Clean up any spills of antifreeze on
driveways and other hard surfaces. Dogs and cats find antifreeze quite tasty
and if they find antifreeze they'll drink it. Antifreeze is extremely toxic
causing kidney failure that is often fatal in just a few days.
Very small
amounts of antifreeze can be fatal. If a cat walks through a puddle of
antifreeze and then licks its paws, it can ingest enough antifreeze to cause
death. About five tablespoons can kill a medium sized dog. If you see your
pet drinking antifreeze, or are at all suspicious that your pet may have had
access to antifreeze, contact a veterinarian immediately. Signs of
antifreeze poisoning depend upon the time after ingestion. In the first few
hours after ingestion the pet may be depressed and staggering and may have
seizures. They may drink lots of water, urinate large amounts and vomit. The
pet may appear to feel better but in a day or two get much worse as the
kidneys fail. Signs of kidney failure include depression and vomiting. The
amount of urine they pass will often decrease to a very small amount.
The diagnosis of antifreeze poisoning is made by blood and urine tests
although some of these tests become negative by the time kidney failure
develops. Antifreeze poisoning should be considered in any free-roaming dog
or cat with consistent signs. Treatment for antifreeze poisoning needs to be
started as soon after ingestion as possible to be effective. The earlier
treatment is started, the greater the chance of survival. Once kidney
failure develops, most animals will die.
The treatment for antifreeze poisoning depends on when the pet is
presented to the veterinarian. If the pet is seen within a few hours of
ingesting antifreeze, vomiting is induced to remove any antifreeze still in
the stomach and charcoal is placed in the stomach to bind antifreeze in the
intestine. Antifreeze itself is not very toxic but it is broken down by the
liver to other components that cause the damage. If the pet is presented to
a veterinarian soon after drinking antifreeze, a drug is given that impairs
the liver from converting antifreeze to these toxic products, allowing the
unconverted antifreeze to pass in the urine. These drugs are useful only
when given early and are not effective after the pet is already showing
signs of kidney damage.
Animals who present to a veterinarian in kidney failure due to antifreeze
poisoning can occasionally be saved with aggressive treatment. Some
specialty veterinary practices offer dialysis which can be used to remove
waste products that are not being removed by the diseased kidneys in an
effort to keep the pet alive to give the kidneys a chance to repair. Whether
the kidneys will repair themselves or not depends on how severely they are
injured. Unfortunately the kidney damage caused by antifreeze is usually
very severe and irreversible. Kidney transplantation has been performed in
dogs and cats. There are several sites on the internet that describe
transplantation.
Feline Renal Transplantation at the University of Wisconsin
Feline Renal Transplantation at North Carolina State University Since
treatment for antifreeze poisoning is often not effective, prevention is
very important.
PREVENT ANTIFREEZE POISONING
- keep new and used antifreeze in a sealed, leak proof container
- take used antifreeze to a service station for disposal - don't pour
it on the ground
- check driveways for puddles of antifreeze that may have leaked from
the car
- consider the use of alternative antifreeze products that are less
toxic to pets
- if antifreeze is placed in toilets make sure the lid is down and the
door to the room is closed
Washington State University assumes no liability for injury to
you or your pet incurred by following these descriptions or procedures.
|
|
Did you find this information useful? Please
consider helping us train the veterinarians of tomorrow by making a
gift to the college.
The Pet Health Topics Web site is a free
service provided by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington
State University. Your donation will help support veterinary
education and research.
|
